The Duke's Ghost Bride Bonus Scene

The Camden carriage pulled through the great stone archway around the castle, stopping in the courtyard outside the oaken door. The castle was looking better these days—the walls surrounding had been restored by a team of masons over the span of two years. The household staff had tended to the inside as well, keeping it fresh and refurbished for the occasional visitor from the south.

          Lord Camden stepped out first, motioning for a nearby footman to take the door so that he could hand Elaine and their daughter out next. It was four years since their wedding—four years filled with social engagements, London high society, a pregnancy, and now this sweet little three-year-old clinging to Elaine’s skirts.

          Nelson stood for a moment, looking at Elaine and his daughter, Samantha, with pride. He’d come back to the castle twice since their marriage, but only for brief visits to tend to the renovations and manage the new staff. For the most part, he and Elaine stayed with the baron and baroness when they came to the Highlands. Samantha had never been to the castle before. It was her first time, and he saw in her eyes the same excitement that had filled him when he encountered the great stone building that lonely night all those years ago.

          “Papa,” she cried, taking a tentative step forward and craning her neck up. “It’s too tall to look at properly.”

          “If you come inside,” Elaine said gently, “you can look at the great hall. It has a high ceiling, but is easier to look at without falling over backward as you are now.”

          Samantha laughed. “I am not falling over backwards, Mama.”

          The three took hands and walked up the stairs and into the castle, pausing just inside the door to exchange some words with the household staff about their stay.

          “I hope you find the refurbishment to your approval, my Lord,” Marta said to Nelson, giving a quick little curtsy. They’d taken on new staff since he’d left, preparing for the longer summers Nelson and Elaine intended to spend in the country. The staff numbered nine maids and footmen—plus Helen and the livery staff, who were lined up quite properly in the entry.

          Nelson looked them over with a smile. Far different from my first night here, he thought, remembering the eerie time he’d had, wandering into the castle without a soul to give him welcome.

          He looked down at Samantha. “What do you think of the castle, little one?” he asked.

          She looked around her, eyes wide. “It’s very grand,” she said. “And very beautiful.”

          They moved on through the rooms, pausing on occasion for Marta to point out a change here and there, and then went up to their rooms to change for dinner.

          “I’m glad you’re back,” Marta said softly, before heading downstairs to put the final touches on the table. “The castle grows lonely when you’re gone.”

          “We have done our stint in London,” Elaine answered with a smile. “Of course we shall have to return for the House of Lords and the Season, but we shall try to be out here more regularly in the future.”

          Samantha, who seemed overawed by her surroundings at first, had warmed up significantly by dinnertime. She perched on a large chair to the right of Elaine, who insisted on her being present at meals despite the custom of children eating with nannies beforehand. As the meal proceeded, Samantha’s questions began piling one atop the other as her natural curiosity and enthusiasm took over.

          “Was there a great fight at this castle?” she asked, nodding at the swords above the fireplace.

          “I am not sure,” Elaine said, looking at Nelson. “Was there?”

          “We shall look into the history later,” Nelson said simply. “But I can assure you, my dear, that these stone walls have seen more than one conflict.”

          “What’s conflict?” Samantha asked sweetly.

          “A fight, that’s all,” Elaine chimed in.

          Nelson looked across the table at his wife. He had been told by hardened, cynical men that the bloom of love would eventually fade away, but such was not the case for him and Elaine. She looked more beautiful than she ever had, sitting there in the firelight with her soft hair curling around her face and her attention turned patiently to their little girl. I am a fortunate man, he thought. This castle has brought me great wealth beyond measure in the form of this little wife of mine.

          “Are there rats here?” Samantha asked, interrupting his thoughts.

          “Probably,” Elaine chimed in before he could answer. “But they are nothing to be afraid of. You will always have Mama and Papa to protect you.”

          “I am not afraid of rats,” Samantha said, frowning. “I am not afraid of anything.” She paused a moment, and then her brows drew together in adorable worry. “At least, almost anything. Are there…are there any ghost stories about this place?”

          Elaine looked up at Nelson, and he knew they were thinking the same thing: where did a girl this young learn of ghosts? It was likely one of the housemaids, always chattering away in the corner about some gossip or another

          “There are no ghosts to be afraid of,” Elaine answered slowly, “but there is one story about this castle that you might enjoy. It’s not a dinnertime story, though. You shall have to be very patient and wait for night-time.”

          Samantha clearly struggled to wait, but the excitement of the post-meal pudding seemed to take the edge off her trial. When she was bundled away into her nightgown and tucked into an adjacent room to her parent’s quarters, Elaine and Nelson slipped in with a candle burning and sat beside her bed for their night-time ritual of stories and good-night kisses. Here, Elaine leaned forward and, in a cool, clear voice, told the tale of the Lady Vanessa as Nelson had never before heard it.

          “Once upon a time,” she said, “this castle was owned by a very proud and beautiful lady named Vanessa. She was quite tall and had dark hair just like your Mama. She was renowned in the village as wise woman beyond her years, and though she was not particularly gentle it was known that she was wise.”

          “Is she the pretty lady from the upstairs room you showed me?” Samantha chirped.

          Elaine raised an eyebrow at Nelson. He nodded. “Yes,” he said, “although we brought you up there for a good view of the new gardens. I’m surprised you noticed her picture.”

          “She looked like Mama at first,” Samantha said, “but when I looked closely I saw that I was wrong.”

          Not so wrong, Nelson thought with amusement. When he looked at Elaine, he could see laughter in her eyes as well. She continued, “That lady had a man she loved very much, but alas he went away to the war. He was fighting for something he believed in, but sadly the news came that he had been lost in combat. No one knew where he was, and most feared the worst. The lady was left alone in the castle, and waited in vain for her lover to return.”

          Samantha’s nose crinkled in worry. “That’s so sad.”

          “It is,” Elaine said soberly. “The villagers told the lady she ought to marry someone else but—” she reached and took Nelson’s hand, “—when you love someone very much it can be hard to replace them with someone else after their gone.”

          “Like you love Papa,” Samantha said.

          “Exactly,” Elaine nodded. “But the story doesn’t end there.”

          “It doesn’t?” Samantha asked.

          “It doesn’t?” Nelson echoed. That’s exactly where the story ends, he thought. What else are you going to add, Elaine?

          She paused a moment, drawing out the suspense for Samantha. Then she leaned forward and whispered: “Lady Vanessa’s lover returned.”

          What?

          “He came back,” Elaine went on. “And it was proven to the lady that all her waiting and hoping had not been in vain. Love endured, and she was glad that she had not gone off to marry the other men her family and friends found for her. The one she loved was worth waiting for.”

          She leaned forward and kissed Samantha’s forehead, turning to leave with Nelson at her elbow. When they’d closed the door behind them, Nelson turned and took her in his arms.

          “That was an unexpected ending,” he said.

          “Was it?” she said, tilting her head to the side. “I don’t think so. You, of all people, should know a happy ending when you hear one. After all, you were the one who gave me mine.”

          “And now, you’re passing on the favor to Lady Vanessa,” he said, looking down into her eyes. “It is a kind thing to do.”

          “It isn’t about Lady Vanessa,” she corrected him gently. “It’s about this castle. It’s our home now, and I believe over the years these great stone walls have had their fill of sadness. It is time they hear tales of joy and happiness instead.”

          Nelson drew her close and kissed her gently on the lips.

          “That is well and good,” he said. “There are no people better suited for tales of joy than we.”

The Next Book is Available on Our Website and on Amazon!
Read The Next Book!
Click on the Image or Scan the QR Code